


Warden Hawke's Chronicles

by Europolarist



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age II
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-14
Updated: 2017-08-13
Packaged: 2018-07-24 01:49:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,690
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7488618
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Europolarist/pseuds/Europolarist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An AU story from the Deep Roads Expedition through Dragon Age Inquisition, what if Hawke, not the Hawke twin, was infected with the Blight. Follows Daniela Hawke's adventures into being a Grey Warden.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> 5/12/17 - I am working on reposting this story. It went through a MASSIVE rewrite as I practiced some new skills. I should be posting the first few chapters pretty quickly, there are seven chapters complete as of today, but they're still with my beta. I hope you like the rewrite!

The dust settled around Daniela Hawke’s panting form.

 “I hope that’s the last group.”

She looked over to see her sister standing over the corpse of a genlock.

Leaning against the rocky outcropping of the chamber, the stone pinching her back through the armor, Daniela looked around at the damage.

Cooling magic washed over Daniela. The touch was familiar but new, so it must have been Anders and not her sister using his mana to heal the group.

Glancing at Varric, who stood near the back of the cavern, near the doorway from which they’d come, she could almost see the anger flowing off her friend.  It had only been a few hours, if she could correctly guess the time underground, since his brother’s betrayal.

Feeling revived, Daniela pushed herself off her support and crossed the clearing. It smelled of sulfur and filth, like every other room they’d been in since Bartrand had abandoned them; but at least they were no longer fighting those possessed rock demons.

“There’s another group coming.” Anders picked up his staff and looked about the chamber. “At least five.”

“Battle formations, people.” Daniela drew her daggers and headed in the direction that Anders had been staring. Daniela was the first line of defense in protecting the others.  For a moment, Daniela wished that she’d thought of the team’s structure before they’d left and brought a warrior rather than two mages. They had a couple in their group of friends, Aveline was a trained soldier and Fenris, well, he was something else. _She should have agreed with her mother and taken one of them instead of bringing her sister._

Hearing the grunts of the blighted monsters coming down the passageway, she slipped into the darkness behind the stalagmite near the entry.

The first darkspawn, a short grunting one that Anders had once said was a genlock, appeared as a scout. Now familiar, the scent of sulfur followed behind the monster and Daniela waited a breath before jumping out of her hiding spot and crashing into the short beast. Her legs wrapped around his waist from behind and she quickly slit its neck, blood bubbling from its neck. 

It gurgled, trying to breathe,  as it crashed to its knees and Daniela leapt off its back, turning in the air to face the taller hurlock.

The hurlock, a grizzled mangled form of a once-human, reached for its sword. She tried to avoid it’s dead eyes, there had been more than one occasion in fighting the beasts where she’d drawn her sword a moment too slowly.  Adjusting her blade,  a volley of arrows from Bianca knocked the beast backward, tripping over its own feet. 

Hair on the back of her neck bristled as she darted forward, wanting to take advantage of the injury. The electric snap of her sister’s lightning spells flashed at Daniela’s side before hitting something behind the hurlock. 

Ignoring the magic, she whirled on the hurlock. She changed her grip again and slashed her dagger across its arm, using a technique she’d perfected in the last few months to render the arm useless. The hurlock’s sword slipped from his limp hand and she jabbed her dagger into the beast’s side, where she knew the armor would be weak.

It screamed in her ear and Daniela flinched for only a moment before twisting and then pulling the dagger free from its body.

She leapt out of the way as the hurlock staggered forward, looking for her next target. If it wasn’t finished already, Varric would take care of it.

“Bethany,” Anders called out, and Daniela turned to see the tell-tale shimmer of a rogue ‘spawn slipping into the shadows near her sister.

Forgetting about the darkspawn at the door, Daniela pulled at her training and leapt through the air, closing the distance between herself and the ‘spawn advancing on her sister. With no armor, Bethany was a clear easy target and Daniela wasn’t going to let the beast get his hands on her. 

It took only a mere blink of an eye to complete her journey, her instructors had been very thorough, and with her daggers drawn, she speared the rogue before he reached the mages.

The beast bucked, throwing Daniela off, and she crashed into a nearby pillar, crying out in pain.

Anders’ healing magic washed over her as Daniela leapt back to her feet and attacked the rogue with increased vigor, her daggers almost a blur as she sliced and cut at the beast.

It caught her armor with its own blade and Daniela breathed through the pain as she finally found a spot where her dagger could pierce the armor and finally put an end to the dangerous monster.

Her breath caught at the grin the beast gave her, Daniela’s body shuddering. Glancing down at her body, Daniela could see the sword cutting through her side and glanced up at the beast’s bloody eyes for just a moment before its eyes rolled into the back of its head.

“Anders!”

Daniela looked over at her sister, Bethany’s face stricken with pain.

Healing magic washed over Daniela again as she fell to her knees, still unable to feel the pain of the blade that had very nearly gutted her.

“Maker’s Balls.”

Daniela could hear Varric’s familiar pounding footsteps from somewhere behind her.

A second wave of magic, this time Bethany’s, crashed into her and Daniela could feel the wound knitting under her armor. 

“Focus on the last ‘spawn.” Finally catching her breath, Daniela shouted the order and reached for her weapons. She reminded herself to thank both the healers with a larger portion of their loot when they returned to the surface.

Daniela allowed herself to collapse onto the ground when the last of the darkspawn had been dispatched. She swiped at her mouth where one of the darkspawn had bashed her face with the hilt of his blade, certain that it had broken a tooth.

She spat, cleaning her mouth of most of the coppery blood, and then ran her tongue over her teeth. _Nothing broken, thank the Maker._  

Drawing in a few deep breaths, she looked around at her companions. Most seemed no worse for the wear, though Bethany’s hair was a bit more frazzled than usual.

A chuckle escaped her lips before she could catch herself and Bethany glanced at her with a suspicious look.

Unable still to breathe properly, Daniela merely smiled and waved away her sister’s concern.

“Everybody alright?”

“Thanks for the healing,” she said, after one last gasping breath. “That last bastard was—“

“A bloody bastard,” Varric interrupted.

Anders snorted in laughter and Daniela fell back against one of the rocky growths, feeling queasy.

“Are you sure you’re alright?”

Daniela looked up to see Bethany hovering over her.

“I’m sure.” Daniela nodded. “Just need a few moments to recover.”

When, a few minutes later, she felt recovered, Daniela let them know it was time to move on. Anders appeared at her side, his hand outstretched for her to take.

Grateful for the help, Daniela took the offered aid and allowed Anders to help her up.

“Are you sure you’re alright?”

She frowned, Anders echoing her sister’s concern.

“I’m fine.” Daniela pulled her hand away from his and headed toward the passage to the right of where the ‘spawn had come from. “Let’s head this way.”

****

“This part of the Deep Roads looks familiar.” Daniela glanced around the corridor as it opened to reveal a ledge that she was almost sure they’d been on before the betrayal. Her stomach twisted and she felt like she had a fever, and was praying to the Maker, _for once_ , that she had the flu.

“And it only took us five days.” Varric stepped around her, looking at the walls. “Look, there’s our marking.”

She followed the line his finger made toward the doorway and saw the familiar glyph that Anders had carved into the rock what felt like weeks ago.

Thankful for the confirmation that they were back on the main road, Daniela was surprised to feel yet another wave of nausea roll down her throat.

Her arm itched where her armor had been cut by the darkspawn blade and she sighed. It wouldn’t be long before she could no longer hide her symptoms.

“Could we take a break?” She glanced over her shoulder to look at her companions, hoping they’d be ready for a pause as well.

“Daniela?”

Her knees buckled and Daniela collapsed with a grunt onto the floor, unable to answer her sister’s question. Daniela felt her throat close with realization that the feeling of darkness was more than _just_ exhaustion. Thinking about it, she could already feel the corruption in her veins.

“It’s the blight, isn’t it?” Daniela looked up at Anders, whose feathered pauldrons blurred at the edge of her sight.

“I can feel it moving through my body,” she said, not waiting for his answer and looking for Bethany. “I’m going to go the way of Wesley.”

Daniela’s eyes burned with tears as she tried to keep her voice steady. Though it had been nearly a year and a half since they’d run from the blight Daniela could still imagine the grey skin of Aveline’s husband as Daniela shoved the blade into his gut, ending his life prematurely and saving both husband and wife of the pain of the infection.

“Dani.”

Already she could hear the tears in her sister’s voice.

“I don’t think I’ll be making it to the surface with you, Bethy,” she said. “It’s up to you to protect mom from Gamlen.”

“But,” Bethany started, though she didn’t continue.

Silence washed over them for a moment.

“I was hoping the corruption wasn’t coming from you.”

She turned to look back at Anders, wondering about his Warden abilities.

“Is there anything you can do?” Daniela knew it was a slim chance, but if Wardens protected the world from the darkspawn, maybe Anders could cure it.

They hadn’t talked much about his Warden history; he’d been incredibly closed up about his time with them. All she knew that their purpose was apparently important and once one joined, you could never escape. 

Anders had told her once, one late night when they were the last ones awake at the Hanged Man, that one day they would grow tired of his insolence and come for him. She wasn’t sure he planned on surviving that reckoning.

“The maps I got from the Wardens. They planned to come on their own expedition. It’s possible we could find them.”

Even in her addled state, Daniela could hear the hesitation in the Warden’s voice. He did not want to do this. He did not want to go searching for the people who might very well kill him.

“How would that help?” 

There was anger in Bethany’s voice and Daniela winced. Her sister should never have to worry about any sort of burden.

“They have the potential to stop the Blight in Daniela,”  Anders said gravely.

“They have a cure?”

“No, not really, but becoming a Warden will stop it from killing her.”

“Are you sure?”

Daniela turned her head to look at Varric’s blurred form , his voice hoarse.

“The process is painful, and might kill her anyway.”

“But it will give her a chance at life?”

“You may never see your sister again, Bethany.”

“I’ll do it.” Daniela struggled to sit up straight, despite the world being blurry. “A chance at life is better than certain death.”

“We don’t have much time then.” Anders moved around in front of her, the blond hair and feathers clearly indicating who it was that knelt in front of her. “Can you stand?”

Daniela nodded, unsure but wanting her sister to feel certain that this was the right decision. She didn’t want to part on bad terms, especially with Anders’ warning in her ears.

_At least_ , she thought, using Anders as a walking stick, _Bethany would be protected with the money they’d likely make and the friends she was leaving behind_. _They would be able to keep her from the Circle._

It took some time, Daniela limping on Anders arm, before the mage finally stopped.

“I think they’re nearby,” he said, loosening his hold on her.

Daniela glanced around and hobbled over to a nearby outcropping, needing to rest.

“Or it’s darkspawn.” Varric’s crossbow clicked into place as he spoke from the back of the group.

Daniela reached for her blades. Though she wasn’t sure how much energy she’d have to fight, she wasn’t about to let the darkspawn infect her friends.

“No.” Anders’ hand appeared on her shoulder, keeping her in place. “We’ll take care of them.”

The electric touch of magic filled the chamber and the fighting erupted around her as the darkspawn came into view. The world tipped as the sounds of fighting grew muffled in her head.

No, Anders had been right. She had no fight left to give.

Daniela wasn’t sure how much time passed before the darkspawn had been dispatched, but she did notice that there were more people in the room.

“Commander.” Anders, for once, had a hint of reverence in his voice.

“Anders.”

Daniela glanced at the man who’d spoken, standing in front of a small group of men.

She blinked her vision clear, hoping that she wasn’t as near to death as she felt.

“We need your help, sir.” Bethany stepped forward, her magic brushing against Daniela like a warm breeze. “My sister has been tainted.”

“And you want our help?”

“We want you to make her a Warden.”

“Of course you do.” There was derision in the Commander’s voice as he answered Anders.

“This may be as much a death sentence as the blight itself.”

“I know this.” Daniela picked herself up off the rock where she’d been resting, gathering what remaining strength she had. Her legs were wobbly beneath her, but she managed to prevent herself from grabbing Bethany for support. “If there’s a chance at living, I’d happily pay the cost, whatever it is.”

Nearby, Daniela could hear Anders grunt dissent. He did not agree, and perhaps she should listen to him, but the thought of dying in these tunnels turned Daniela’s stomach more than the thought of serving a life-sentence for a noble cause. 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry it took so long! Got distracted by the real world. Hope you enjoy!

Daniela snapped awake, gasping for air. The world was dark around her, but hushed voices filtered into the room from somewhere in the distance.

  
A shaft of light burst from a doorway and Daniela blinked as a tall figure entered the chamber, carrying a lantern.

  
“Good, you’re awake.”

  
The voice was familiar, though Daniela couldn’t recall where she’d heard it before.

  
“I feel dead.” Daniela swallowed back the bile in her throat, her voice croaked with non-use.

  
The man chuckled, warmly and quietly, as he stepped further into the room.

  
“We gave you a stamina potion in order to keep you alive until the Joining could be prepared.”

  
Daniela frowned.

  
“Wouldn’t it be easier if I just died?”

  
The man crossed the room, tending to the fire for a moment or two before speaking.

  
"Anders was right. We do need more Wardens. I would not lose a recruit because we weren’t prepared for her arrival.”

  
Realization dawned as Daniela remembered her journey through the Deep Roads. Most of the memories were a blur, but there was a vague recollection of telling the others that she’d been blighted.

  
A low hum murmured in her head, like a beat that thrummed through her very soul.

  
“I don’t remember him saying that.” Daniela leaned against the thin feather pillow and tried to focus in the dim light of the room.

  
“That does not surprise me.” The man placed the lantern on a small table near the door and crossed the room. “My companions and I have brought you to our outpost. The Ritual will take place within the hour, if you wish to live. There is not much time left, I’m afraid.”

  
Daniela nodded; with the feeling in her legs nearly gone and her fingers starting to go numb, she didn’t need the man to tell her that death was just around the corner.

  
“This ritual. What is it? “

 

“It will slow the advance of the blight in your body.”

  
“Anders said—“

  
“The Warden was very pressed for time. I doubt he had much time to tell you the truth, not that he would be allowed to share it in the first place.” The man frowned, his eyes traveling over her covered form. “You do not have long. Will you take the Joining, or will you perish?”

 

Daniela blinked, surprised that the man had given her a choice; but really, what choice did she have? The blight was spreading, if the loss of feeling was any indication of her chances. She knew the potion they’d given her was giving her extra energy, but without it, Daniela feared she would already be dead.

  
“I don’t suppose there’s much choice.”

  
“There is always a choice.” The man’s Orlesian accent came through as he spoke slowly and softly.

  
“I will die.” She pulled the blanket closer around her legs, feeling chilled.

  
“We all die.”

  
“What about this Ritual? What happens?”

  
“I can only tell you if you agree to Join us.”

  
Daniela frowned. Unexpectedly, she could feel her heart thumping heavily in her chest and wondered if the Blight had finally reached her vital organs. The beats echoed in her head.

  
“I’ll do it.” Daniela looked up at the Warden. “There’s not much time.”

  
The man nodded, resting his hand for the briefest of moments on top of hers. He left the room in a hurry and Daniela realized that she didn’t have a clue what this man’s name was. She thought that Anders had called him Commander, but it could have been any of the four blurry forms she remembered from just before blacking out in the Deep Roads.

  
It would make sense, she thought, that the commanding officer would be the one to check in on her and demand her answer. Daniela only hoped that the decision would be the right one, in the end.

  
With the light gone, Daniela rested her head on the wall behind her, closing her eyes and hearing a strange humming in her ears. It was dark, in a way that she couldn’t explain, but it felt like monsters were crawling over her.

  
No wonder Wesley had begged for death.

  
The door latch clicked and Daniela struggled to open her eyes in order to watch a handful of people crowd into the small sleeping quarters. The dwarf placed a case on the table while the Orlesian warden hung his lantern on a hook near the door.

  
_He’s efficient_ , she thought, as the dwarf quickly built up a fire. For a moment she wondered if they used the fire runes that her sister had once told her about.

  
“This is Warden Commander Lina,” the Orlesian warden said. “She is in charge of this outpost, and will be overseeing your Joining.”

  
Daniela cleared her throat of the liquid that seemed to be bubbling up from her lungs. “It’s nice to meet you.”

  
The lithe woman took a step closer, returning her greeting. Daniela was surprised to see her sporting the ears of an elf. She did her best not to react, but was sure she had when the Commander smiled.

  
“This is Hershel.” The Orlesian warden waved toward the dwarf who’d stood by then and turned to face Daniela in the bed. “He will be your watcher tonight, after the ritual.”

  
“Is that necessary?”

  
“There are dreams. It is best that someone watch over the new Wardens on their first night.”

  
The words were ominous and a shiver coursed down Daniela’s spine.

  
Hershel walked back to the case and opened it, revealing a large silver goblet and a flask of something.

  
Daniela glanced over at Lina, the woman apparently in charge of the proceedings, and the woman watched Hershel silently while he poured the liquid into the cup. She couldn’t tell if Hershel said a prayer over the goblet, but he seemed to be taking his time with his task, almost reverently.

  
Hershel brought the goblet to the elf in the silence of the room, the only sound the crackling fire as it licked the flames.

  
“Can you stand?”

  
Daniela snapped her attention back to the people in the room and nodded at the Orlesian, wishing she’d taken the chance to ask his name when he’d visited earlier.

  
Both he and the dwarf helped Daniela stand, the dwarf keeping his hand out, stabilizing her while the human took a step back.

  
“Join us, sister.” Lina stepped forward. “Join us in the shadows where we stand vigilant.”

  
Daniela glanced down at the liquid, even in the low light it shimmered with something ethereal. She wondered, ignoring the woman speaking, if the glow was something she imagined or if she could see magic now.

  
“—Cannot be forsworn. And should you perish, know that your sacrifice will not be forgotten. And that one day we shall join you.”

  
The goblet moved and Daniela looked back up at the warden commander in front of her. The woman had an eyebrow raised, expectantly.

  
Her eyes searched the room and for a moment, they locked with the dwarf, who nodded at her.

  
Daniela swallowed then took the goblet from the woman. One quick glance inside showed her there were at least two or three full chugs of the liquid inside.

  
_It’s blood, definitely blood._

  
The scent of copper and lightning filled her nostrils when Daniela brought the contents to her lips.

  
For a moment, Daniela wondered if it would have been better for Bethany to have taken the ‘spawn blade to the gut.

  
She felt regret for her mean-spirited thought even before it finished in her mind. Bethany would be safe now; she would have enough gold to bribe the templars and a group of friends that would protect her.

  
Too late to back out now. Daniela closed her eyes for a moment and took a breath. If she didn’t complete the ritual, they would kill her.

  
She shuddered, but gulped down the liquid, unsure how much she needed to ingest. It surprised her, the texture, slimy and viscous, like raw egg. It made her want to throw up.

  
_I can do this. I protected Bethany from the darkspawn once, and I’d do it again._

  
Forcing the liquid down, Daniela caught sight of the hilt on the Orlesian’s hip. The threat of death was real, from both sides, and this was her only way out.

  
Daniela finished the contents, handed the cup back to Lina, and immediately felt the world spin around her.

  
****

  
Daniela walked through the streets of Lothering. She remembered being here before years ago, but couldn’t remember why she was here now.

  
Screams filled the air and she spun on her heel trying to find the source.

  
Turning down an alley way, she found herself in a long corridor, the world dark around her, the very air tainted with a red fog that seemed to beat like a pulse.

  
She reached out, opening the door in front of her, revealing the flat roof of a building. Daniela squinted, seeing the spires of the Denerim chantry in the distance.

  
She ran toward the ledge, needing to see what was below her. A burst of light exploded from a nearby rooftop and Daniela stopped, shielding her eyes.

  
Again, screams filled the air. Fear ripped through Daniela, her steps pounding on the roof tiles. Looking over the edge of the roof, she could see thousands of darkspawn marching out of the city.

  
“Urthemiel, Urthemiel, Urthemiel.”

  
The name echoed through the streets below.

  
“Urthemiel.”A cold finger of nausea trailed down her spine as Daniela realized that she too was saying the word, reverently like a prayer.

  
Daniela blinked and the scene shifted again, for a moment she wondered how she’d gotten inside, but the thought disappeared when she saw Anders leading Bethany and Varric through the woods.

  
She ran toward them, thankful to have found them. It felt like years since she’d last seen any of them.

  
“Bethany.” Daniela waved her arms at her sister, the woman looking through her rather than at her. “Bethany?”

  
She closed the distance between them and tried to jolt her sister out of the despair etched on her face. Bethany looked so much older than Daniela remembered.

  
Her hand went through her sister’s shoulder and Daniela’s gaze fell on the red ribbon clutched in her sister’s fist.

  
Unbidden, Daniela reached up to feel that her hair was loose; her sister had taken the ribbon from her. And Daniela hadn’t even noticed.

  
Lightning magic raced down her arm and she turned to see Anders looking directly at her. His eyes shifted for a moment, the familiar blue lyrium color of Justice’s presence came through even in the red world of her dream.

  
“I’ll let them know. Be careful, Hawke.”

  
Daniela nodded, though she couldn’t be sure if the spirit or Anders himself had spoken.

  
Gasping awake, Daniela shot up in the bed, her eyes adjusting to the darkness.

  
“It’s okay.” Beside her, the dwarf came into focus, the light of the hearth dancing on his features. “You’ve survived.”

  
“What in the Maker’s name was that?”

  
“The nightmare?”

  
Daniela nodded, taking the mug he offered her and drinking deeply of the small ale.

  
“Your connection to the darkspawn is complete.” There was a sadness in the dwarf’s voice.

  
That didn’t make any sense.

  
“I thought that the Joining would cleanse the blight from me. That’s what he said.”

  
The dwarf shook his head.

  
“That’s not exactly how it works.” He paused, as if searching for the right words and his eyes fell on hers. “Commander Stroud was likely doing what he could to keep you from backing out.”

  
A stab of betrayal wrenched Daniela’s heart. The Orelsian had lied to her, for there was no one else that this Stroud could be.

  
“The Joining gives a normal person some of the blight. In your case, since you were already tainted, it merely slows the advance of the disease. One day the blight will claim your life, like it will claim all of the Wardens; but you’ve bought some thirty years of life with the Ritual. That is, if you don’t get yourself killed at the wrong end of a blade.”

  
Her heart skipped a beat.

  
“That’s what he meant then, about this being a cursed life.”

  
She would not be seeing her family again.

  
The small room fell silent and Daniela could hear the same echoed beat in her head that she’d heard in the dream. This time she didn’t need to figure out that it was the blight and only wondered if it would be her constant companion.

  
“Did you…” Hershel looked down at his hands before gathering his courage to continue talking. “If it’s too personal, you don’t have to answer; but did you see the archdemon?”

  
Daniela worried her lip trying to remember the dream.

  
“You’re the first warden that Joined in this outpost since the archdemon was defeated. I just wondered about your dream. If it’s the same even when one isn’t active.”

  
“I saw Denerim and a brilliant flash of light, like if a star exploded just in front of me.”

  
Daniela wrung her hands.

  
“There were hundreds, or thousands, of darkspawn on the streets. “

  
She looked up at the red-haired dwarf, remembering the dream.

  
“It was like being at the Tower of Ishal again, watching the lights as the horde moved toward us, before Commander MacTir called the retreat.”

  
“You were there, with the Hero of the River Dane?”

  
Daniela nodded.

  
She’d heard rumors that the commander had betrayed Fereldan with his acts on the battle field, but it had saved her life.

  
“Are you still thirsty?”

  
He looked around, then finding the ewer, reached out to refill the mug.

 

“No,” she said, taking stock of herself, feeling her stomach rumble with need. “But I am hungry.”

  
The dwarf grinned.

  
“I’ve got something for that as well.”


End file.
